


Tree Takedown

by JA_Authoress



Series: Muggle Mishaps [38]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Tree, Domestic, Fluff, January 1979, Kinda, M/M, Nonsense, Self depreciation, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:17:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5778211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JA_Authoress/pseuds/JA_Authoress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>TBT</p><p>January 8, 1979</p><p>Recently fired Remus is determined not to let this fact ruin his day.  Unfortunately, when he notices he can't even remember a simple family tradition, he immediately questions his whole future.  Luckily, Sirius, super boyfriend, immediately comes to the rescue.</p><p>“Right! I have just the solution.  I’ll get dressed right now and head down to the Ministry to get a Time Turner so we can go back to yesterday and take down the tree properly.  Actually, I think I’ll get served faster if I don’t get dressed.  I’ll take Prongs with me! We’ll make a proper mess of it.”</p><p>“You’ll get us kicked out of England.”</p><p>“I’d happily get kicked out for you, and suffer the wrath of Evans for getting her kicked out by proxy.  I can’t have a mopey Moony, now, can I? What kind of boyfriend would I be?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tree Takedown

January 8, 1979  
8:19 a.m.

After suffering yet another humiliating day in the life of Remus, he was determined to make sure it wouldn’t ruin this day.

He ignored the acute aches that were starting to develop in his joints, a bitter reminder of what was coming in exactly five more days, and strut into the kitchen.

His first mission of the day: tea. 

And bloody good tea at that.

Preferably scalding.

Maybe he could burn his tongue. 

Yeah, focusing on how much his mouth hurt all day seemed like a better option than on the bleak outlook that was life.

Remus shook his head with a scowl, wildly wavy hair dancing about with the movement. ‘None of that now. Positive thoughts, Remus, positivity is the key!’

He had to use one of his least favourite cups. Apparently no one did the dishes from the weekend. Remus was the one who had instigated the ‘non-magical dish cleaning’ rule. His mother was quite adamant that magical cleaning didn’t actually get things cleaned quite like good old fashioned elbow grease. 

Remus thought about breakfast, but Sirius would probably get up in about an hour and make it. With that in mind, the werewolf made his way into the living room, where he could curl up in Sirius’s chair, next to the Christmas tree, and read another chapter of—

Remus stopped in the hallway.

The Christmas tree was still up.

He wracked his brain for the date.

“It’s January eighth.” He said quietly, numbly. The cup of tea (scalding and not quite as perfect as Sirius made it) fell to the floor, shattering quite impressively. Hot water cooled only by the slightest drop of milk splashed onto his slippers, and pyjama pants. He swore loudly, a long string of curses that he hadn’t used properly since his early Hogwarts days.

“Remuswhatsgoingonwhathappenedwhatbrokeareyoudead?” Sirius stumbled out of his bedroom, shirtless, barefoot, hair an absolute mess, and wand already sparking with a spell. When there was no immediate response, he rubbed his face and finally took in the situation.

“The tree’s still up.” Remus stated blankly. He hadn’t moved still.

“Of course it is! I’m thinking about putting a charm on it to keep it year round.” Sirius said with a sleepy grin. He noticed this didn’t help Remus in the least. “What’s wrong?”

“The tree’s still up. It’s January eighth.”

“You said that already. What’s wrong with today?”

“It’s nothing.” Remus cleared his throat and blinked rapidly. His eyes were starting to get wet for some reason.

Sirius steeled himself and carefully made his way over to his boyfriend’s statuesque form.

“Well—bugger—it doesn’t—ow—look—bloody hell—like—ouch—it doesn’t look like nothing to me.” Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus.

“It’s just,” Remus took a deep breath. “Mum always says the tree should be taken out on the seventh of January, if we did it sooner, bad spirits or bad luck would get into the house.”

“Is that a regular muggle tradition?”

“Mum’s family’s originally from Hungary, they immigrated to Wales about fifty ago.” Remus took another shaky breath. Sirius waited as patiently as he could. “It’s just a Hungarian muggle tradition that Mum likes to keep. That’s all.”

“We were a little preoccupied yesterday. It’s only the eighth, Remus.”

“But it’s basically the one tradition we keep aside from the usual Christmas shite, and I can’t even remember that. Sirius, if I can’t keep something simple like that, how am I supposed to keep a bloody job? Who would want someone who can’t even remember that? 

“Oi! We still going on about that? I swear, I will Floo your mum right now. She’d have none of this nonsense.” Remus said nothing, so Sirius continued. “Right! I have just the solution. I’ll get dressed right now and head down to the Ministry to get a Time Turner so we can go back to yesterday and take down the tree properly. Actually, I think I’ll get served faster if I don’t get dressed. I’ll take Prongs with me! We’ll make a proper mess of it.”

Remus snorted. “You’ll get us kicked out of England.”

“I’d happily get kicked out for you, and suffer the wrath of Evans for getting her kicked out by proxy. I can’t have a mopey Moony, now, can I? What kind of boyfriend would I be?”

“Thanks Padfoot.” There was a moment of silence. “Why didn’t you just repair the cup?”

“Well you needed me straight away, and I thought walking through glass was faster than repairing the cup and then hugging you.”

Remus snorted. “You’re special.”

“Bloody right! Now, it’s only a few hours into the eighth, let’s take this tree down do we can have some proper luck. Er—how does one take down a Christmas tree? Oh! Should I borrow Sarah’s axe again?”

“No axes!!”

8:33 a.m.

“So you’re telling me that muggles just reuse the same ornaments every year?”

“For the last time, Padfoot, yes. That’s why I got these boxes.”

“Just seems odd to me, that’s all. OH! What comes off first, the ornaments, or the lights?”

“Which did you put on first?”

“That was a long time ago, mate, the hell if I remember. Umm… maybe the lights?”

“Then ornaments off first, and then lights.”

“Brilliant as usual, Moony.”

Remus received a kiss for his brilliance.

8:40 a.m.

“Did you just break my ornament?!”

“No! I think it was Prongs’s.”

Sirius leaned over to inspect the damage. “You’re right, definitely Prongs’s. Looks like his shoddy glue job. That’s all right then. Carry on!”

8:42 a.m.

“Did you just break my ornament?!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Moony! I worked like a house elf on that!”

“You can’t even tell! We’ll fix it next year, it’ll be good as new, I promise.”

“Mooooooonnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyy!”

9:01 a.m.

“What now?”

“Now, we have to take the tree downstairs.”

“Bloody hell, that thing was a real pain in the arse to get up here, I can’t imagine getting it back down. You sure we don’t need the axe?”

“Yes, quite sure. I thought I made myself perfectly clear that December was the last time you were ever allowed to have an axe. Now, get the door.”

9:33 a.m.

Two out of breath, sweaty young men re-entered their flat.

“Buggering—bloody—argh.” Sirius gave up trying to form a sentence. He collapsed onto the floor and was immediately assaulted by tiny green needles. “What the--?! Moony! I thought we were taking the tree out! Why are there more needles on the floor of our flat than there are left on the tree? Moony? Moony!!”

Remus reappeared in the doorway, wand tucked away into his sleeve. He smiled down at Sirius, shutting the door behind him.

“I was taking care of the needles in the hallway and staircase.”

“Magically?”

“Yes, I’ve had to deal with these little buggers before and if I can do it magically I will every time.”

“I mean, I would do this the muggle way, but there are so many! Why are there so many, Moony? It’s like the tree is still here!”

9:45 a.m.

The last of the decorations put away, and most of the left over needles dealt with, Sirius and Remus flopped onto the sofa, fresh tea in hand.

The silence lasted a whole forty-two seconds.

“I miss the smell of it. Can we get a pet bonsai?”

Remus snorted into his tea.

“Sure thing, Pads.”

**Author's Note:**

> A throwback Thursday because why not? ... Okay, mostly I forgot that they didn't take down their tree, then Bunny told me that a Hungarian woman once told her than in Hungary, they take out their trees on the 7th. So... new Remus headcanon for me~ 
> 
> Umm... Also, that got unnecessarily long. Sorry if it wasn't quite up to snuff. Not as good as Buyers Brigade, but let's face it, that and Mistletoe Mayhem are some of my finest work on here. I've got some big plans for February and March though! Stay tuned. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's left a comment/kudos so far! If you liked this episode, please let me know ^_^
> 
> Remember! You are indeed worth something, everything in fact. And be careful of pine needles, for at least three days post-tree takedown.


End file.
